Means for sustaining piano notes in chords or octaves



Nov. 10, 1931. AROSTEGUl 1,831,734

MEANS FOR SUSTAINING PIANO NOTES IN CHORDS OR OCTAVBS Filed July 15, 1930 4 Sheets-sheaf 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 10, 1931. M. A. AROSTEGUI MEANS FOR SUSTAINING PIANO NOTES IN CHORDS OR OCTAVES Filed July 15, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

d ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 10, 1931. AROSTEGU] 1,831,734

MEANS FOR SUSTAINING PIANO NOTES IN CHORDS QR OCTAVES Filed'July 15, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

1931- M. A. AROSTEGUI MEANS FOR SUSTAINING PIANO NOTES IN CHORDS OR OCTAVES Filed July 15, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 TES PATENT OFFICE MARIA A. AROSTEG UI, F MATANZAS, Clj'BA MEANS FOR SUSTAINING PIANO NOTES IN GHORJJS OR'OCTAVES Application filed July 15, 1930. Serial No. 468,158.

This invention relates to improvements in plan'os', whereby the sounds'of single notes, or of'groupspfnotes 1n chords or octaves may be sustained,- whilethe'hands of the'operator are free to play'on the keyboard and the feet are free to operate the pedals in the accustomed manner. I

In carrying out the invention, I provide two groups of auxiliary keys, one above the bass sideof'the piano keyboard, and the other above the treble side, each group consisting oftwelve keys. Eachiauxiliary key is movable into one position to operate a single piano action, and into another position to operatetwo or more actions, for playing chords oroctaves. When moved to these positionsand pushe'd inwardly, the dampers of the piano actions are held off of the piano strings so that the strings may continue to vibrate,and in these positions the auxiliary notes caused'by the operation of the auxiliary keys willb'e' sustained.

Each auxiliary key is'connected to a clutch sleeve on a which extends transversely of'themain keys infront of the piano actions,

" and these shafts aremount'ed for rocking movement andalso horizontal sliding movement. The clutch sleeve maybe rocked without niovingthe sh'aftbyj a straight down ward movement of the auxiliary key, and

2 connected to the sleeve is a rod which operates a pianoaction and is also movable by 'the-key'tohol'd the damper'of said action oif ofthe piano strings; If the auxiliary key is movedlaterally from its normal position, and then downwardly, the clutch sleeve interlocks with'the" shaft and rocks'it. To the shaft are connected several rods which operate several piano actions corresponding to octaves, and an inward movement of "the auxiliary key, which is made simultaneously with the downward movement, causes these rods to hold the dampers offthe several actions out of engagement withthe pianostrings. The keys auto- 'matically lock in the lowered positions, so that the notes are sustained.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is afront elevation of anupright PlflIlO' showing the groups of stops for controlling the dampers;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged frontvview of part of the piano casing and one-group of stops;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the slots through which the damper controlling rods extend; v

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.-CL of Fig. 2, showing the three left hand stops of a Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through a part of the piano about on the line 55 of Fig. 4, but showing only the three right hand stops of a group;

Fig. 6 is a section through one of the rocking bars, on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of parts of a rocking bar, with the coupling sleeve in normal position;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 ofFig. 7

Fig. 9 is a view similar to'that shown in Fig. 7, showing the coupling sleeve in position to rock the bar;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11. is a section on the line Ill-11 of Fig. 7

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 9; and,

Fig. 13 is a plan view, on a small scale, of one of the auxiliary keys and associated parts.

In. Fig. 1 of the drawings, the piano P is shown with two groups of auxiliary keys in and h on the front board 3), above the main keyboard, the group it being arranged over the bass side of the keyboard andv the group it being arranged over the treble side. One of the groups, it, 1s shown on a larger scale in Fig. 2 and'for convenientreference these are numbered from 1 to 12, inclusive.

The indivldual keys of the boards which they operate are alike, so that a description 9 of one key and the parts associated with it will answer for all, and for this reason and also because to show all of the parts associated with all of the keys would complicate and obscure the drawings, I have shown in Fig. 4 only the first three keys in the group It, and in Fig. 5 the last three keys of this group.

Each auxiliary key comprises a. knob is which is preferably in the form of a disk having a concave upper edge, as shown, so that the operators fingers may readily position themselves on the keys to depress them either singly or in groups. These knobs are mounted on the ends of rods or stems which project through slots 8, of inverted U-form, 1n the front board 9, one of the slots being shown in detail-inFig. 3, with one of the rods 3" in its normal position in the slot. The key 3 in Figs. 2, 4 and 13 may be referred to for illustration. It comprises the knob lo mounted on the end of the rod or stem 3 which projects through one of the slots and extends into a tubular fitting on a clutch sleeve 8 which is mounted on a rock shaft 3". This clutch sleeve is shown in detail in Figs. 6-12, inclusive, of the drawings, and will be hereinafter more fully described. From the opposite side of the clutch sleeve 8 a rod 3 extends below the lever m, which operates the hammer n and the damper 0 in I an ordinarypiano action, and thence extends upwardly behind said lever and has a hooked end 3 which extends in front of the damper lever q. The rod 3 is provided with a boss 3, below the lever m, as shown. This auxiliary key mechanism does not interfere with the operation of the piano action by the corresponding piano .key 03 on the main keyboard.

It will be evident that if the rod 3 is rocked downwardly in one arm of the U- shapedslot through which it extends, the dam er controlling rod 3. will be rocked upwar ly and the boss 3 striking the lever on of the piano action, will cause the hammer to strike the wire 3 and the damper 0 to be moved away from the wire. Simultaneously with the downward movement of the auxward against the pressure of a spring 3 and the rod 3 is pushed rearward so that its hooked end 3 operates to hold the damper 0 out of engagement with the wire 3, thus causing the.note to be sustained.

The rock shaft 3 is in two parts, as shown inFigs. l1 and 12, and the clutch sleeve 8 surrounds the adjacent ends of the shaft. Within the sleeve is a cylindrical part 33, of the same diameter as the shaft and against which the ends of the shaftabut. The sleeve is connected tothis part by a set screw 3 which extends through a longitudinal slot 3*. Hence the sleeve may slide longitudinally on the shaft from the position shown in Fig. 11 to the position shown in Fig. 12; but if the ke stem 3* is moved vertically the part 3 wi 1 rock with it. The part 3 has a diametrical bore 3 which is in alinement with the stem 3' and the rod 3 when the sleeve is in the position shown in Fig. 11, and in this perforation is a short rod 3 through which backward movement of the stem 3 is transmitted to the damper controlling rod 3. If the sleeve is moved to the right, as indicated in Fig. 12, the short rod or pin 3" will be out of line with the stem 3 and rod 3, and hence, a backward movement of the stem will cause the shaft to move backward. To permit of this movement, the outer ends of the shaft are mounted in horizontally slotted supports 13 and 14 and are held in forward position by springs 15. In addition to the damper controlling rod 3 the shaft carries two other damper controllin rods 3 and 3*, spaced so as to control the am ers of keys an octave below and an octave a ove the key with which the rod 3 is associated. The clutch sleeve has two right-angled slots 3 near its ends, and set screws 3 extend through these slots into the ends of the shaft 1 sections, as shown. When the sleeve is in normal position, shown in Figs. 7 and 11, these set screws will be at the an les of the slots, and it will be evident that 1f the key stem 3" is rocked downwardl the sleeve will turn about the shaft wit out rocking the latter; but if the sleeve is moved to the right, so that the set screws 3* will lie in the horizontal parts of the slots, as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 12, and the key stem is then rocked downwardly, the shaft sections will rock with the sleeve and stem and the several damper controlling rods on the shaft will rock in unison to operate the-piano actions of keys an octave apart, and if the key stem is pushed real-wardly the damper control rods will hold the several dampers away from the iano wires. 3 y Each 0 the slots 8 in thefront part of the piano, through which the auxiliary key part of the slot, from whence it can quickly be moved downwardly in the left hand leg of the slot, or horizontally, and then downwardly in the right hand leg of the slot. When the key stem is moved downwardly in theleg 17 and then pushed rearwardl only the rod 3 will be operated; but if t e key stem is moved to the right and then downwardly and inwardly in the leg 18 of the slot, the shaft 3 will bemoved backwardly and rocked so that the several rods attached to the shaft will be simultaneously operated.

When a key stem is moved downwardly and pushed inwardly, it will lock in its lower position by the entrance of a collar 19 on the stem into one of thecenlargements 17" or 18 of the slot, and thus the notes will be sustained while the operators hands are free he key stem normally to play on other keys of the piano and the feet are free to operate the pedals.

In Fig. 5, the auxiliary key 11 is shown with its key stem 11 connected to the clutch sleeve 8 on a sectional shaft 11", to which two damper controlling rods 11, an octave apart, are connected; and the key 12 has its stem 12 connected to the clutch sleeve 8 on a sectional rod 12 to which several damper controlling rods 12, an octave apart, are connected. Similarly, the key 10 has its stem 10 connected to the clutch sleeve 8 on a sectional rod 10", to which the damper controlling rods 10, an octave apart, are connected. The shafts may have two or more damper controlling rods, so as to control dampers in one or several octaves as may be desired.

The auxiliary keys can be actuated by a quick downward movement and released by a quick upward movement of the fingers, a

slight backward pressure being applied to the keys when they are being depressed and a forward pull being applied when they are released.

lVhile I have shown the invention applied to an upright piano, it will be evident that it can be applied with suitable modification to other types, such as grand pianos. It will also be evident that the necessary parts can be made and applied to any piano at relatively small expense.

In the drawings groups of auxiliary keys, twenty-four keys in all, are shown, and by means of these all of the octaves can be played; but if desired the number of auxiliary keys may be made to correspond with the number of keys on the keyboard and each auxiliary key can be made to play only one octave, or one individual note.

What I claim is:

1. In a piano, an auxiliary key adapted to operate an individual piano action, and means controlled by said key for operating several piano actions in chords or octaves, and for holding the dampers associated with said actions oif'of the piano strings.

2. In a piano, a group of auxiliary keys, each adapted to operate an individual piano action, and means operable by each key for actuating several piano actions in chords or octaves.

3. In a piano, a group of auxiliary keys, each adapted to operate an indvidual piano action, andmeans operable by each key for actuating several piano actions in chords or octaves and for holding the dampers associated with said actions off of the piano strings.

4. In a piano, an auxiliary key, a rock shaft movable by said key and rods movable with the shaft for operating several piano actions simultaneously in chords or octaves.

5. In a piano, an auxiliary key, a rock shaft movable by said key and rods movable with the shaft for operating piano actions in chords or octaves and adapted to hold the dampers associated with said actions off of the piano strings.

6. In a piano, a rock shaft extending transversely over the keyboard, rods connected to said shaft for operating piano actions in chords or octaves and adapted to hold the dampers of said actions away from the piano wires, and an auxiliary key for rocking said shaft and moving it rearwardly.

7. In a piano, a two-part rock shaft extending transversely over the keyboard, a clutch sleeve surrounding the adjacent ends of said shaft, an auxiliary key adapted to rock said sleeve and move it laterally, means for locking said sleeve to the shaft when the sleeve is moved laterally from normal position, and rods on said sleeve and shaft for operating piano actions in chords or octaves.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MARIA A. AROSTEGUI. 

